This application is claiming priority from French Application No. 01 09716, filed Jul. 20, 2001, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to the sector of clothing, and more specifically to that of sportswear or leisure wear. It is aimed more specifically at a pair of pants equipped with a special arrangement to allow them to be tightened in at the waist, without having to resort to an attached belt.
In general, a pair of pants comprises a closure region situated at the front of its upper part. This closure region comprises two flaps which partially overlap. When these two flaps are parted from one another they allow the user to put the pants on. When the two flaps are secured to one another, the top of the pair of pants passes around the waist of the user, and this holds the pants in position. The two flaps of the closure region are generally held together by a fly and a top button connecting the two top ends of the flap. The fly may be equipped either with a zipper or with buttons, or alternatively with fabric of the hook and loop type. The top button may possibly be replaced by a press stud or any other equivalent means that allows the two flaps to be held together.
Pants are generally equipped with various belt loops situated around the waist, so as to allow a belt to be slipped through which is tightened at the front of the pants. This belt allows the waist of the pants to be tightened in to prevent the pants from slipping down over the hips.
The use of a belt proves to be somewhat unsuitable as far as leisure wear or sportswear is concerned: such pants are made of relatively stretchy fabrics and the waist of the pants may deform between the various belt loops that carry the belt. Furthermore, the belt buckle forms an additional thickness at the waist and this may prove annoying.
It has already been proposed for certain sports pants to be equipped with a drawstring. This drawstring is contained in a fold at the waist of the pants, and which goes around the waist. This drawstring re-emerges at both ends at an eyelet made in the fold. The tightening of the drawstring tightens-in the waist of the pants. This solution is difficult to transfer across to pants which have a closure region with flaps. Such a transfer would entail fitting two different eyelets at the waist of the pants, to allow the drawstring to pass through. It then follows that one end of the drawstring may disappear up inside the fold made in the waist, making tightening impossible.
The invention sets out to alleviate these various drawbacks by providing a pair of pants which allows progressive effective tightening which is hassle-free for the user.
The invention therefore relates to a pair of pants comprising a closure region with two flaps which partially overlap and are equipped with means for holding one with respect to the other.
According to the invention, this pair of pants is one which also comprises:
a casing going around the waist of the pants;
a strap able to slide inside the casing, one end of the strap being fixed to a region of the casing, the other end being free and re-emerging from the casing at a first flap;
an eyelet arranged on the second flap and able to have the free end of the strap passed through it;
means of securing the free end of the strap to the first flap of the pants when said free end passes through the eyelet and is folded back onto the first flap.
In other words, the pants have an internal belt which is arranged in a casing made at the waist. This casing can gather slightly when the strap is pulled. This strap protrudes from the flap of the pants, and allows the other flap to be pulled by pulling on an eyelet. When the free end of the strap is secured to the first flap, the second flap and therefore the fixed end of the strap are therefore kept under tension with respect to the first flap.
As the strap is relatively flat, it does not form additional thickness when secured to the flap, unlike that which is observed when using a conventional belt.
Advantageously in practice, the means of securing the free end of the strap to the first flap of the pants allow the relative position of the strap on the flap to be adjusted. In other words, the tightening of the strap can be adjusted to suit the user""s wishes, thus making it possible to a certain extent to compensate for the difference between the waist size of the pants and the waist size of the user.
Advantageously in practice, these means of securing the strap to the first flap of the pants are formed of portions of fabric of the hook and loop type, which allow continuous adjustment of the tightening.
In one particular embodiment, the portion of hook and loop fabric secured to the flap is stitched to a piece of fabric attached to the flap. This piece then comprises an opening to allow the free end of the strap which emerges from the casing to pass through. This arrangement strengthens the region of attachment of the strap to the flap.
Advantageously in practice, the strap is secured to the casing at the second flap so as to pass around the waist of the pants. In other words, the strap goes around the waist of the pants, and is stitched to the flap more or less at the eyelet, so that it is the strap itself, rather than portions of the pants, which perform the tightening.
Advantageously in practice, the means of holding one flap with respect to the other are formed of a button and of a buttonhole each arranged on one flap.
In practice, it is preferable for the button to be stitched to the inside face of the flap, so as to avoid forming a region likely to become caught on obstacles.